All At Once
by chaiteadreams
Summary: Damon/Bonnie/Elena fic. They fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.
1. Prologue

**AN: I was going to make this a one shot but it'd be way longer than I'm comfortable with. So I decided to make it at least 5 chapters. It's Damon/Bonnie/Elena btw and this is just a prologue.**

**Thanks loads to jbezzy2easy who helped with dialogue and such and my beta bluemagicrose who is a heaven sent .**

**Enjoy and review please. xx**

_**Disclaimer Thingy: I do not own TVD or any of the characters. If I did it'd be a hell of a lot better. **_

* * *

**Prologue**

"Stop using Elena to get me to do what you want!" She seethed from where she was, blinking rapidly to keep back the tears.

"I don't have to use Elena to get you to do anything," Damon says and the knowing way he says it sends her off.

"Of course I'd do anything to for her! She's my sister and I love her," Bonnie was practically shouting now, "But don't just go about assuming that I abandon all sense of self-preservation where she's concerned!"

"It's not an assumption because I've seen you put your life on the line time and time again for her, you little idiot!" Damon matches her tone, a sense of exasperation comes over him that has him rubbing his face in frustration and he doesn't see her expression.

Her voice is soft when she speaks again, "I don't know why I'm arguing with you Damon... you're right I can't think straight when it comes to Elena ..." She trails off, her hand unconsciously reaches up and clutches the place above her heart. She's not sure why she's saying so much to Damon of all people.

"Because you're _in love with her,_" Damon supplies, again matching her tone.

Bonnie chuckled humorlessly and shook her head, making the wisps of hair that escaped her high bun hit her in the face. "Seriously? I told you that I loved her not that I was in love with her. And why are we even discussing this? You wouldn't get the relationship that we have. That we share. You wouldn't understand."

"Who says I don't understand?" He challenges and the room falls silent.  
Tense.  
It's as if Bonnie doesn't remember that she's supposed to retort right now or better yet set his sleeve on fire and storm out of the boarding house. Her shoulders are sagged and she's hugging herself like if the truth that has been put out in the open is sharp, tearing at her and she needs to stop herself from falling apart.

"Remember when you were 8," Damon begins his eyes cast down and the tumbler of hard liquor in his right hand, momentarily forgotten," and you and Elena where playing in the park near her house and you left her from a second so you could gather flowers to braid in her hair because she was getting so frustrated with her long hair being out,"

It takes Bonnie a moment to process his words and then she's staring at him like he's crazy and maybe just maybe he is.

She lets him continue his tale none the less.

"When you were picking the flowers some older boys came over and were teasing her and pulling her hair and you ran back over," Damon chuckled at the memory that he's begun to take Bonnie back into and a smile tugs at her lips for some reason.

"You pushed one of the boys down and there you were brandishing a finger, your voice stern. You said 'Don't you ever pick on my best friend again or you'll have to deal with me!' And of course the boys weren't just gonna leave but I came out of where I was hiding and when they saw an adult watching them they left. And then you turned to Elena and asked her if she was alright and she just smiled at you and both of you hugged,"

"You're such a creep," Bonnie says trying to turn the conversation back to their usual snarky banter because they had well passed into the uncomfortable territory. This wasn't them; they didn't have heart to hearts. "So you've been stalking her since she was a kid?"

Damon blue eyes snap up to Bonnie and he smirks, a familiar gesture that has her relaxing a bit.

"I didn't know she'd grow up to have Katherine's face,"

A shiver runs down her spine. She didn't know that Damon had actually tried keeping his promise to Emily and protect her line. That's what his words suggest, that he's a stand-up guy besides for that little 'trying to kill Emily _again_ while she was in Bonnie's body and almost killing Bonnie in return,'

Bonnie's face turns hard and she turns away from him, watching the unlit fireplace with sudden interest. "So I defended my best friend from bullies when I was 8. That's all you have to base your ridiculous conclusion that I'm in love with Elena on? You're not only creep, but you're also asinine. Instead of looking for competition where there is none, just be happy that you won the girl."

Damon shrugs, not caring if Bonnie's watching or not and takes a swing of his bourbon "Well of course I win the girl, stupid,"

Bonnie swings around to glare at Damon "You really need to work on your pet names," **_Jerk_**

Damon continues as if he was never interrupted "You were never in the running to get the girl since she's never even considered you,"

Bonnie starts at his words and she frowns "What are you getting at Damon?"

"I'm saying," He draws the end syllables on his words out, waves his glass around and rolls his eyes as if he's annoyed "It's simple. You say you're not the competition. I know you are. You're secretly pining over her. Probably letting your gaze linger just a little too long when you speak to her. Maybe even watching her sleep during your pajama parties. The point is that I know you want her. I have her, but it doesn't feel real. Authentic, because not every player suited up for the game. "

Bonnie settles it in her head, the asshole is definitely crazy.

"This isn't a game. I'm not the competition. Stop being paranoid about my friendship with Elena, its unattractive. "

"This is a game. One for Elena's heart. Since I'm an eternal stud and all and I have a leg up on the competition. How about I'll give you a running head start? Just to make things fair."

The fear she feels at professing her heartfelt feelings not just in passing 'Love yous' and pecks on the cheek makes her knees shake and she sinks into the leather ottoman and presses her open palm against her forehead.

"I'll help you,' He says but then opts to elaborate when she begins to look angry, a divot forming in the middle of her furrowed brows and a sneer tugging at her lips. She thinks he's taking her feelings lightly, like they don't matter. "Express your feeling that is not win her over," He scoffs the last part.

Her face smooths out and Damon tries not to grimace because he secretly hopes she'll say No flat out because he knows her feelings are not unrequited. There are times when he catches Elena looking at Bonnie as if she's god's gift to man and even if she hasn't realized her feelings for the little witch; Bonnie's confession will lead to some serious introspection that Damon will not be looking forward to. But- Damon needs to do this, possibly out of some kind of twisted need to be 'even' with her and repay the kindness that is her not killing him on sight every time she sees him.

"No offense Damon but you come on a bit strong," She says somewhat flippantly. "Snapping her brother's neck isn't exactly what I'd call the most romantic declaration of feelings ever. Actually I'd rate it in the 'Never attempt' list,"

Damon sneers at her sarcasm and goes to take another swing from his glass when he realizes it's empty. He turns to the bar. "Do you want my help or not?"

There's a silence in which he assumes Bonnie is chewing on her lip thoughtfully, a habit of hers.

"And why would you help me?"

Damon shrugs "I've told you my reason witchy; it hardly matters if you believe me,"

What can he say? That he was sick? That he secretly wanted her to fail? Or that this was actually a ploy to get both of them?

He starts at his thoughts because he had never thought of that before. Having them both. He'd had fantasies of both girls but separately and in very different aspects. But together?

Was he being selfish? Probably but now that the thought was planted in his mind there was no letting go of it.

_Damn_


	2. Chapter 1

"Why are we here?" Elena pouts cutely, folding her arms across her chest and looking down at her new boots, making sure they don't get completely ruined. They were in the woods, walking seemingly aimlessly for a good half hour now.

"What?" Damon prods, "Your tone is a bit distrustful. I'm wounded, seriously," He turns around, clutching his chest with a fake hurt look.

Elena rolls her eyes with as much exasperation as she can muster, which isn't hard because it's Damon after all. She ignores him in order to take in the sight of the thick canopy; the gaps in between give way to sunshine and the patterns they make on her are beautiful.

She looks up at Damon and smiles because the light brightens his eyes. It makes them a less intense shade of blue that you can get lost in. He gives her a smile; not a smirk but a full on genuine smile that reaches his eyes. Her chest grows warm and she thinks she's lucky that she's the only one who has seen Damon's smile, that it's mostly reserved for her... And sometimes Bonnie; when her eyes are closed in concentration when she's doing a spell or when he thinks she can't see. But Elena does and it should bother her... Shouldn't it? That he almost- sorta - boyfriend is way more comfortable than necessary with her best friend?

But the thought of Bonnie sets her chest on fire in a new way, different but similar to the way Damon makes her feel. The brunette frowns as she continues following Damon, she can see light ahead and heard the sound of running water violently crashing against rocks. Bonnie has been avoiding her for a while now, not outright of course, just in little ways that has Elena feeling a bit hurt but she figures everyone needs their space.

The clearing they emerge into is lush, set close to a waterfall and she takes a moment to stretch and enjoy the sun on her face before she notices a picnic like scene set up and she smiles moving to thank Damon when she notices a petite figure near the river bank, crouching next to the running water, one of her mocha coloured hands in the water and the other one idly playing with the piece of jewelry that donned her right ankle, the piece of jewelry that was identical to the one she and Caroline wore.

Bonnie's head raises up and a smile breaks out on her face and Elena jogs over to her, reaching for her hand to gently haul her into a hug that has Bonnie giggling which amuses Damon since he's never heard such a girly sound escape her before.

"Bonnie, I missed you,"

Bonnie pulls away and worries her lip  
"I'm sorry," She wants to say but Elena knows that look and waves away her apologises before she can even get it past her lips.

"Ladies," Damon says and indicates to the bottle of wine he's produced from the picnic basket. Elena gives him a look and then looks between him and Bonnie as if realizing this setting isn't what she's used to seeing them in- together- not screaming at each other - or giving each other dirty looks - or teasing and conspiratorial, plotting and actually (not that they've ever admit it) enjoying each other's dry humour.

Elena wants to comment on it but she's not one to look at gift horse in the mouth so she walks slowly over to picnic set up - her hand somehow becoming entangled with Bonnie's; their fingers loosely clasped and warm pressed against one another - as if her fast pace will break the spell and they'll recall that they don't hang out outside of scooby gang meetings.

"What's all this about?" Elena asks as she sits gracefully on the blanket, and twists her long hair up into a high bun, exposing her delicate neck and shoulders. Her collarbones are prominent and Bonnie and Damon's eyes skim over them and then find each other. The same thought is going through their head; they want to press their lips against her warm skin and trace the lines of the bones with their tongues.

Bonnie snaps out of it first "Can't three friends just have some-" She draws out the syllable and peers into the picnic basket to see what Damon had pack and frowned.

"Really Damon, wine and cheese? Shoot me now. This is supposed to be a picnic not one of those fancy wine tasting parties," She groans before resuming the conversation with Elena like if she hadn't just paused to berate Damon.

"- wine and cheese together?"

Elena bursts out laughing and Damon looks hurt, "Hey, I brought out some of my best wine. It's not meant to wash down sandwiches but to be savoured."

"So you're trying to get us drunk on an empty stomach? Cheers," Bonnie says yanking the bottle away from Damon and popping the top open with a bit of magic and knocking it back.

Bonnie's nervous. Elena can tell from her brave demeanor and her exaggerated but humourous display of annoyance with Damon. The brunette wants to call her out on it but she's not sure Bonnie would appreciate it if she pointed out a chink in her amour in front of Damon of all persons so she shuts up and takes the bottle from Bonnie and follows suit, tipping her hand and letting the strong, sweet taste of wine burn a path to her stomach where it settled easily, warming her whole body and creating a buzz in her brain.

* * *

Bonnie's drunk or as close to it as she can get as a witch. Her magic normally lessens the totally plastered feeling to a slight buzz and her body becomes warmer than usual burning off the alcohol.

They're sprawled out on the checkered blanket, shoulder to shoulder, watching the sky.

"That one looks like a crazed bunny with a knife in it's hand," Damon says using one of his hands to point and Elena giggles

"That's not what I see"

"Oh yeah?" He smiles at her and they turn their faces to each other. Damon's not drunk, Bonnie can tell, but by the way his eyes are half lidded and a goofy little smile tugs at his lips she'd sworn he's there, toeing the line between rational thought and the heavy feeling you get when you're really drunk and too wired to think straight. He knows what he's doing.

His face inches closer so he and Elena breath the same air.

_They're too close. _

"God, can you let her breath her own air for Christ's sake?" Bonnie yells when Damon's startlingly blue eyes narrow in on Elena's lips and she can tell he wants to kiss her. She can't see Elena's face but she knows that she has a similar expression and it makes her so angry because she wants to be the one on the receiving end of that look.

She sits up to too quickly and the blood rushes away from her head, making her feel lightheaded.

"Bonnie?" Elena's voice is soft and then a hand is on her shoulder. The brunette's warmth burns her already hot skin and she feels like she's overheating. Her tongue is heavy and her eyes are burning.

"Bonnie," Damon says and it sounds like a warning but she ignores her name being called and stands to her feet- a bit shakily- and kicks off her ballet flats and then walks over to the edge of the water; sloppily tugging her dress over her head and throwing it behind her.

She should be mortified standing there in her match blue lace underwear set but they heat is burning her up and she can't think. The water is cool to the touch and she wades into it, rubbing at the skin of her chest, not sure if she's trying to rub away the dirtiness she feels forming a layer over her skin or trying to claw her traitorous heart out of her chest.

"Bonnie," Damon has come in after her, only in a pair of jeans, the water making the material heavy and pulling it lower on his narrow hips so that she can see the muscles forming that V shape leading into his pants and a light line of hair making a happy trail. "Relax. Come over here."

His arms are out and beckoning for her to come to him but Elena's at his back, standing at the bank and wearing that worried expression that she alone could wear so perfectly. She steps back and doesn't hold her breath when she goes under. Instead she screams and cries and she likes the rush of water that burns as it enters her lungs.

"Don't be stupid Bennett," Damon growls as he hauls her from the water. His hands are on her bare skin and against better judgement she sputters the water from her lungs and clings to him. Wet skin against wet skin.

Her skin is cool now, silent tears streaming down her face and it feels good to have Damon's cold skin against hers so she doesn't let him go.

* * *

Bonnie goes to church the next day, not the one that she knows where that lovely older gay couple attends with their teenage daughter and her surrogate mother; the Hotchners, but one a few towns over where she knows the priest spits fire and brimstone.

When the priest casts disapproving eyes and she thinks to herself that his eyes linger longer on her than necessary as he spits the words that has her dying inside.

The petit witch lets the words echo in her head _  
_

_Sin_

Bonnie needs this. She thinks back on the Hotchners, of their almost 24 years of love and commitment and it's not that she doesn't want that. It's that she can't have it.

She sits and lets the condemnation of the preacher remind her of that truth.


	3. Chapter 2

"How was church?" Damon asks mockingly as her bed dips under his weight and his makes himself comfortable with his back against the headboard. Bonnie's eyes narrow at his question but she stays tight lipped, shrugging off her black dress in the privacy of her toilet. "Who wears black to church anyways?"

_Someone in mourning_ She thinks and realizes that she's mourning what can never be. She sighs and put on a pair of shorts and one of her dad's old t-shirt before stepping back into her room to put away her shoes and wipe the makeup off her face.

"You know I used to do the same thing," Damon offers after a while and only then does Bonnie's eyes seek him out. "Go to church and listen to the priest call me a monster- not in so many words but close enough- and try to build up the courage to take my ring off and sunbathe."

"Why didn't you?"

He shrugs and Bonnie thinks maybe she isn't going to get a straight answer but then his eyes get a far away look "Probably because I'm selfish, we all are. And scared..."

Bonnie thinks back to after the service, how she had stayed back for confession and as she had listed out her sins, he'd make little sounds to let her know he was listening but when she had told him about her attraction to her best friend; his silence was telling.

"Are you even Catholic?" He makes a face.

"I don't need to be Catholic to know t-t-that it's wrong,"

Damon is still and she thinks that he's probably angry but then he shrugs "You're right," He says and it surprises her.

"You're not good enough for her," His tone is smug and bordering on suggestive "I on the other hand can give her everything she needs,"

Insert Damon eye thing

His words sting and she swallows thickly, ready to let his words roll right off her back but Damon catches the look and changes tactics.

"I was worried for a second," He's picking imaginary lint from off his t-shirt now "That if you'd gotten serious about having Elena that I would have lost her so it's good you're bowing out."

"You really think that Elena could love me as more than a friend?"

"She already does, she just doesn't know it as yet,"

Bonnie makes a face "You'll lose if she realizes her feelings for me," She hedges.

Damon shrugs "I wouldn't be so sure,"

A sound of derision follows the vampire's declaration "You're not trying to make this into some sick triangle bullshit are you? Because I've seen firsthand how well that went with you and Stefan."

"I was thinking more of skipping the love triangle bullshit and going straight to bed,"

Bonnie's frown is so severe it warps her pretty features for a moment "You're sick Damon, It's never gonna happen,"

Damon stands now, pacing the length of her room and picking up stuff off her dresser to examine them.

"Now now,let's not be hasty," Damon finally says even when Bonnie thinks the conversation has ended and she's just about to tell him to get his ass out of her house.

"Excuse me?"

"The sexual tension between us has been palpable for a while now, ever since we've gotten over the little ' i hate your guts' phase and gotten wanting each other dead out of our systems."

Bonnie scoffs but doesn't refute his words and he sits on the edge of her bed

"Kiss me then," Damon urges "to prove to yourself that you're not attracted to me,"

His face tilted up and his pink tongue darting out to wet his lips. Bonnie starts at the dare and she frowns

"Damon," Bonnie grits out as she steps away from him; the urge to set his infuriating ass on fire nagging at her. "I may have been attracted to you once.. before I realized what a murderous douche you were." She admits. "I can't admit that all my residual feeling of lust for you are gone but a serious non-monogamous relationship? You've got to be kidding me."

That causes Damon to smirk and the green eyed witch has a good mind to give him aneurysm just to get that stupid look off his face. His look turns to one of contemplation, for as long as he's known the witch he's realized Bonnie responses best to sincerity and he was sincere in his feelings of grudging admiration and awe and unrivaled respect for her. She was a force to be reckoned with.

It wouldn't do him any good to relay his feelings to her now because after her reluctance to the idea of something more between them, she'd pass off his words as an attempt to get in her pants.

_This is gonna be a toughie _He thinks.

"This isn't as cut and dry as you think it is little bird," Damon comments finally "I have no doubt that Elena is in love with me and -" he hesitates "She's in love with you too. I'm going to fight until she acknowledges me and gives me a chance to feel her love. I'm going to make this work. And even if you don't want to admit it judgey, there's a fine line between love and hate and we haven't been on the hate side of the line for a while now"

Bonnie stares at him for a moment and then thinks back to the Hotchners and their surrogate. They all loved each other even though they weren't all physically involved. Probably she should give him a chance and see if she could tolerate him enough to involved in a relationship with him. For Elena.

"Okay," Bonnie agrees slowly "I'll give it a try,"

She offers out a hand for him to shake and he arches an eyebrow at it "The best way to seal a deal is with saliva"  
Which earns him a smack to the chest.

* * *

Elena isn't sure what she expects to find as she enters the Bennett household, possibly Bonnie still in bed? Dealing with the stress from all breaking yesterday. Elena had wanted to stay the night with her friend but once Bonnie realized this she insisted that she needed to be left alone. Elena was sure that If she hadn't agreed she'd have been bodily thrown out.

_Or possibly she's in some corner, curled up in a ball and muttering to herself in a language that doesn't exist? _The thought sends a bit of panic through Elena and she pushes off, using her vampire speed to get up the stairs. When she enters Bonnie's room, she does a double take then a triple take before finally walking out of the room and walking back in.

She hasn't uttered a word so her presence has gone unnoticed but she doubted they would have noticed her even them. She can tell from their breathing that they're fast asleep. Bonnie with her head tucked under Damon's chin and Damon's leg trapped between Bonnie's smooth thighs and Bonnie's hand on Damon's chest where his heart is supposed to be.

Jealousy burns red hot in her chest and she gasps gently, imagining her fingers entwined with Damon's and her head pillowed on his chest and her legs captured between two smooth caramel thigh and Bonnie's long curly, vanilla scented hair tickling her nose.

_Wait what?_ Her train of thought and better yet her confusion at her none kosher thoughts of her best friend is put on the back burner as Bonnie stirs, snuggling closer to Damon.

_Cozy _She's tempted to mutter sarcastically and roll her eyes. She tampers down the feeling of being left out and jealousy and bites her bottom lip, shuffling from foot to foot because it really does look cozy. The tall brunette toes off her strappy sandals and ties her hair up before climbing into bed next to the witch.

Elena spoons Bonnie's tiny body and the motion makes her recall fond memories of sleepovers with her best friends where Bonnie would always be in the middle because she moved less so there was less chance Caroline or Elena would wake up on the floor. Elena reaches for Damon's hand, entwining their fingers and resting their joined limbs onto Bonnie's waist.

Just as she's contemplating moving to the other side of the bed; next to Damon because her reaction to Bonnie's soft body is unexpected and definitely not okay for friends, Bonnie shifts, getting herself comfortable by tilting her head and resting her arm over Elena's hand; the one that's lightly resting on her waist before falling back asleep.

Elena relaxes because Bonnie's hair smells like vanilla and wildflowers and it doesn't take long for the scent to lull the brunette vampire to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi guys, It's been a while. Sorry**

* * *

Bonnie sits at her kitchen table, nursing a mug of coffee and Damon stands whistling at the stove, making breakfast for lunch. The smell of pancake batter and sizzling bacon was alluring but Bonnie was distracted by the brunette across from her who, after spending too much time observing the witch and cautiously asking if she was okay, is looking down at the newspaper in front of her with mild interest and sipping her green tea.

Besides Damon's humming, it's relatively silent and Bonnie zones in on Elena right as she's raising her mug up to her pink lips to take a tentative sip. Brown, doe eyes find hers and Bonnie blushes, looking down; suddenly finding the dark liquid in her mug fascinating. Memories of waking up earlier pressed against her soft warmth was disorienting but her reaction to it was even more so.

_Bonnie's body shifted slightly, slowly waking her mind. The green eyed witch is usually groggy and disoriented when she awakes so the fact that a soft form is pressed into her back doesn't register as peculiar yet. Her body pressed back into it and she's pleased to find that a little zing of pleasure run through her as soft mounds press into her back and almost unconsciously her back arches and her ass presses against the form, eliciting a soft pleased sigh. _

_Her eyes snap open at that moment because that sound doesn't come from her. She vaguely notices that the space that Damon had occupied on her bed is now vacant. The petite witch scrambles to sit up on her legs and takes in the sight of a sleeping Elena Gilbert in her bed, occupying the space of her big spoon. Her chestnut coloured hair spills out onto the pillow like a halo and some stray strands stick to her face and arms. _

_Without thinking about it too much Bonnie reaches out and swipes some strands from her face; the witch knew how much her hair annoyed her but Dr. Gilbert had liked her long, straight hair. When she was little, on Sunday mornings, she'd sit on his lap and watch her cartoons while he'd stroke her hair and read. And as much as Elena would deny it for some reason; she wasn't ready to cut her hair._

_As Bonnie's hand meets the softness of Elena's skin, the brunette sighs softly; causing the bewitched witch to lean forward more and lightly trace circles on her soft cheek. Elena shifting and happily sighing "Mm...B-Bonnie," has Bonnie coming back to her senses and moving slightly away from the Sleeping Beauty. Her heart clenches painfully, half excited and half confused. Her eyes travel away from Elena and meets intense blue eyes that are slightly knowing and mostly...lustful. She takes in Damon's expression as he leans against her door frame and swallows thickly._

"_Raise and shine, we're having breakfast for lunch" Is all he says and Bonnie gets off her bed and goes into her bathroom, closing the door behind her._

_#_

_The green eyed witch hears soft murmuring coming from her bedroom after she empties her bladder, brushes her teeth and splashes water on her face. She stares at herself in her mirror, not reacting as there's a knock on the bathroom door and it opens tentatively. _

_Elena enters and stands behind her, watching her watch herself in the mirror. _

"_Are you okay?" _

_She nods. Elena's shoulders droop a little and she comes up behind Bonnie, loosely wrapping her arms around the shorter girl's waist and bending her head to rest her chin in the crook of her neck. Bonnie closes her eyes, too aware of Elena's body against hers especially after the brunette breathily sighed her name in her sleep. _

_Her unsuspecting nipples lightly rubbing against Bonnie's back through the thin material of her clothing and her naive hands poised just over the other girl's belly button. When she opens her forest green eyes, Elena's mouth is slightly open in a not so innocent curve as she watches the witch and Bonnie thinks she sees something familiar in them before Elena regains her composure._

"_You know you can talk to me about anything right?" Bonnie nods _

"_I'm really sorry about yesterday, I think I just need to lay off the alcohol on an empty stomach. My witch metabolism burns off the alcohol pretty fast so I guess without the food, it's a little disorienting."_

_Elena's eyebrows furrow and her mouth forms a little 'o' as she internalizes Bonnie excuse. She smiles, kissing the brown skinned girl's cheek, an innocent gesture that occurs all the time among the group of friends but now has Bonnie repressing a shiver. "Okay, I guess that makes sense."_

_The contact between them ceases but Elena is still looking at Bonnie a bit curiously,it feels intimate. "If there's anything bothering you, you'll come to me right?"_

_Bonnie turns to her and smiles "Of course Elena, you're my best friend. I'll always come to you."_

_Elena smiles back as Bonnie leaves the bathroom. Something about Bonnie's words has her feeling warm inside but strangely enough equally as cold. Elena shrugs it off as she empties her bladder. _

#

_The school hallways are more crowded than Elena ever recalls, there are banners and balloons everywhere but for the life of her she can't remember what they're celebrating because she feels too anxious and unsettled. Her back is leaning against her locker, scanning the crowd. _

_Everyone is wearing subdued colours, grays and blacks, except one person who's wearing a sky blue dress and maneuvering the hallways quite skillfully; people stepping aside to let her pass before merging in on her and closing the path._

_The anxiety grips Elena tighter and she knows she has to catch up with her. The brunette starts pushing her way through people but it doesn't seem like she's making any progress._

"_Wait! Bonnie!? Bonnie!" Elena loses sight of her friend and the jostling that she had caused with her pushing intensifies and she struggles to keep aggressive stray elbows away from her face and gawky teenage feet from crushing hers. _

_She is pulled out of the fray from behind and now she's standing in an empty hallway. There's relief but fear of being so far from Bonnie grips her. The newbie vampire's breathing becomes laboured and she sinks to her knees, gasping for breath-_

Elena jolts awake from her bed and her hands instinctively go to her throat and she takes deep involuntary breaths. Relaxing and checking the time, she climbs out of bed, making her way to the bathroom to get ready for the morning.

While she's waiting for Jeremy to get ready so they can carpool, her computer catches her eye and she sits in front of it, putting it on and opening google.

_Dreaming about losing someone in a crowd_ she types tentatively, propping her chin in her palm and clicking first link she sees.

"Losing someone or something" is typed in a bold font on the page and she skims it; words like "lost opportunity", "anxiety about losing friendship" and "fear of losing a romantic opportunity" jumps out at her and she frowns deeply, shaking her head and clearing the search and searching instead for _dreaming about suffocating_. Words like "overwhelmed by external forces" jumped out at her. She shut her computer screen a little too firmly and hurried Jeremy out of the house.

When the brunette sees Bonnie's face later at school, a certain calm rushes over her but there's a hush in the flurry of her mind; a small one, and she realizes.


End file.
